Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Cuts Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC) Price Target to $74.00

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Free Report) had its target price trimmed by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $84.00 to $74.00 in a research report report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the insurance provider's stock.

Separately, StockNews.com raised Stewart Information Services from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 24th.

Stewart Information Services Price Performance

STC stock traded down $1.94 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $62.36. The company had a trading volume of 285,023 shares, compared to its average volume of 231,845. Stewart Information Services has a 1-year low of $56.16 and a 1-year high of $78.44. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $71.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $70.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.94. The company has a market capitalization of $1.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.42 and a beta of 1.24.

Stewart Information Services (NYSE:STC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The insurance provider reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.96 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $667.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $638.40 million. Stewart Information Services had a net margin of 2.47% and a return on equity of 5.77%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.86 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Stewart Information Services will post 3.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Stewart Information Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Investors of record on Monday, December 16th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.21%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 16th. Stewart Information Services's payout ratio is 94.34%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Stewart Information Services

In related news, Director Matthew Morris sold 12,899 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.12, for a total transaction of $956,073.88. Following the sale, the director now owns 65,330 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,842,259.60. This trade represents a 16.49 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Stewart Information Services

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Copeland Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $61,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Stewart Information Services by 210.9% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,226 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $166,000 after acquiring an additional 1,510 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the third quarter valued at $205,000. Atria Investments Inc acquired a new position in shares of Stewart Information Services during the third quarter worth $207,000. Finally, Marietta Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Stewart Information Services in the third quarter worth $225,000. 96.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Stewart Information Services Company Profile

Stewart Information Services Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides title insurance and real estate transaction related services in the United States and internationally. The company involves in searching, examining, closing, and insuring the condition of the title to real property. It also offers home and personal insurance services; services for tax-deferred exchanges; and digital customer engagement platform services.